Intellectual PropertyCopyright and Database Rights

Copyright and database rights have huge relevance for businesses today in all spheres. While they are central to the creative industries such as film, music and publishing, and the digital era has raised fresh challenges for companies to protect their works, they are important to any business because they apply to any medium.

Understanding copyright and database rights can be core to business competitiveness. If your business licenses its software systems from third parties or develops its own programmes, if you regard the databases of your customers, suppliers and other business information as important assets and would not want them to be leaked to a competitor, if you have a distinctive logo and website, or your products have eye catching get-up or designs, and you do not want to be imitated by new entrants to the market, then copyright is the key to protecting your valuable assets from infringement.

We can provide quick and effective advice on copyright issues affecting your business and can make assessments of liability and prospects of success in the early stages of disputes to enable you to make informed decisions about how to proceed. We work closely with your management team to ensure that the dispute process does not run out of control and retains its focus on your commercial aims.

We are recognised for our extensive experience of advising on copyright disputes, ranging from traditional cases dealing with the copying of literary or artistic works, through to highly technical matters such as screen scraping and the use of a computer system’s business logic.

Notable deals / highlights

We successfully represented US companies Fleischer Studios and Hearst, who own the rights to the well-known cartoon character Betty Boop, in proceedings for trade mark infringement and passing off in respect of the production and sale of unauthorised merchandise in the UK. The trial took place in January 2014 and the Defendants were all found jointly and severally liable and a pan-European injunction has been granted to restrain the Defendants' activities

Represented Elvis Presley Enterprise in respect of the unauthorised distribution of a pirate box set of DVDs and CDs.

Acting for an Indian satellite and internet TV channel operator of Bollywood movies and music in proceedings brought in relation to the ownership of performance rights and unpaid royalties. The case concerns complex issues of UK and Indian copyright law and relative rights.

Acted for Getty Images in relation to a claim for copyright infringement concerning images in a book on Wales' performance at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Acted for a music publisher in a claim of copyright infringement for unauthorised inclusion of a musical work in a film.